25
Keyda woke first the next morning. As she blinked awake, she realized she never had moved into the armchair like she had meant to. They had stayed up late talking, and Cole had fallen asleep propped up on the headrest. She must have fallen asleep not long after he did. He had slumped down in the night, and she realized as the fog of sleep cleared that she was lying on his chest and he had one arm wrapped around her. She knew she ought to move...but instead she snuggled closer and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of security.
She had dozed off again when the door banged open. Her eyes flew open and she bolted upright. At the noise and the sudden movement, Cole stirred and began waking up himself.
Phos raised an eyebrow and Keyda felt her face flush.
"You're lucky I found you before your hulking Captain of the Guard did…" he mused dryly, and Keyda scrambled out of the bed, glaring at him.
"Phos…"
"He's looking everywhere for you, ya know. You are in for quite the earful…"
"What are you doing here?" she interrupted, and he scratched his chin in irritation.
"Saving lives, if I remember right," he reminded pointedly, and her glower softened as she sighed.
"How many…"
"Most will recover…though another six or so died in the night." Phos shook his head. "Did you know these fortresses were only ever built to protect those too weak to fight against the dragons? What they have become…it's vulgar. It's why I refused to come back, really…"
"Back?"
It was Cole who spoke; he had sat up blearily and was rubbing his face with his hands, trying to wake up and figure out what was going on.
"Yes." Phos said, though he didn't expound on it any more. "I'm leaving now, at any rate… and don't forget, you both owe me."
"What do you mean?" Keyda asked, eyebrow raised. Phos stuck out a gnarled finger.
"How many times do I got to tell ya? I don't work for free." He glanced up at the jewel on her circlet—which she hadn't ever taken off the night before—before continuing. "One of those deep purple stones should cover it…"
"I don't think I can…"
"Trust me, you have enough that you can part with it." Phos said dryly. "Ask your scarred Babysitter sometime…maybe after he gets done chewing you out for disappearing last night." He turned back to Cole. "As for you, I expect you bright and early tomorrow morning. In fact, bring an overnight bag…you have quite the labor debt racked up…"
Cole shook his head, rubbing his eyes again.
"Phos, I just recovered from… I can't just…"
The Healer's eyes flashed. "Oh, I insist. Work it out with your behemoth." He turned to go after that, heading towards the door.
"Phos." Keyda said, and he stopped to glare at her, as if expecting some excuse or complaint. Instead, she fiddled with her arm covering, finally looking up to make eye contact.
"Thank you."
His gaze softened slightly, but then he rolled his eyes with a scoff and disappeared.
Keyda roamed the halls quickly, trying to find Heavy Metal. When she finally caught sight of him, he looked irate.
"Office…NOW."
She frowned at his tone, but followed obediently to her office. He gestured for her to enter first, and she did so. He slammed and locked the door behind him, and turned to her again.
"Where have you been?"
She didn't answer right away, glancing at her empty desk.
"I see you got my letters…"
"Keyda." His tone was sterner than she had heard in a long time and she looked over at him, wary and angry as he continued. "Did you leave the fortress last night? Did you go into quarantine, despite my…"
"I had to." she snapped back, and the she saw a vain bulge in his bald head.
"What were you thinking?! Do you realize how easy it would have been to attack you, on your own, out in the desert?! Where on earth…"
"We needed more medicine; we were losing slaves down in the…"
"That's another thing!" Heavy Metal snapped, cutting her off. "Did you send for the Healer? Can't you see why that would be…"
"I didn't send for him!" she yelled back. "He came on his own…but I'm glad he did; we lost dozens of slaves, Heavy Metal..."
"Word is going to get out! The way the outsider's been treating slaves has made people wary enough, but this latest development is going to put us on the brink of…"
"IT'S WRONG!" she screamed back, eyes flashing. "DON'T YOU GET THAT?"
"OF COURSE IT'S WRONG!"
She blinked in surprise as he roared back at her. The scarred Captain seemed to realize he had gone a bit far and looked away, voice lowering.
"I never said it isn't…but we're balancing on the edge of a sword at all times…can't you understand that?! You and Cole can't just go around doing whatever you want without thinking of the consequences…"
"Do you trust me?" Keyda interrupted, and he looked back at her. She folded her arms, glaring. "I understand that there are things we can't do yet…but there are things that I refuse to do any longer. Locking people up to die just because they are in the lowest caste is one of them." She took a deep breath before continuing. "So, do you trust that I can do this? Or am I just some….some figurehead or something that you have to keep in line?!"
He stared at her, having suddenly reverted to his silent, watchful persona. She stiffened, her voice rising again as she continued.
"Are you with me, or not? I need to know now if you're on my side…if you're going to defend me or…"
"To the death."
His sudden interruption caused her words to die in her throat. His stony expression didn't change, but he seemed to have drawn himself up to full height, his own arms folded now.
"I am committed to keeping you safe…my biggest concern is that you are not committed to keeping yourself safe. The outsider seems to be rubbing off on you…"
She opened her mouth to argue, but he put a hand up.
"I think we can pull this one off. Word will get out, yes…but like you said before; it's in our best interest to keep our current slaves alive than to have to keep buying new ones."
"That's not why…" she started, but he cut her off again.
"It doesn't matter what the real reason is…it's the callous one that will keep the factions happy. Slavery has woven itself into the very fabric of the entire realm, lass; higher casts, traders, and even the villages who sell benefit from it. We cannot afford to appear to be attacking it head on."
She fell silent as she thought about what he said. She finally sighed.
"Fine…we can take the roundabout way. But on this I'm serious: no more locking people up to die during fever season; we will send for Healers for slaves, from here on out…"
Heavy Metal looked at her a moment and finally nodded.
"But you must agree, then, to avoid any other incident dealing with slavery or the hierarchy…we just cannot afford any more focus on that right now."
She sighed heavily and finally nodded her agreement. He relaxed and she cleared her throat. She pointed at her circlet.
"Also…I need to ask…is there somewhere I can another one of these stones?"
Keyda lit the torch with a blast of purple power, glancing behind her before heading down the steep stairway. She was pretty sure she wasn't doing anything wrong by going down into the tunnels; she had relatively few things to do with the fortress still shut down on Quarantine. Last she had heard the rest of the sick slaves were healing, but they kept the slave quarters closed off and the leaders in the other fortresses still refused to come. Heavy Metal insisted she wait to go out to the villages as well, in case of lingering cases, so she had come to the conclusion that there was little else for her to do other than explore. She was irritated that she couldn't even do so with Cole because he was at Phos's.
She reached the bottom of the stairs and headed down the tunnel. As long as she had all this time on her hands, she might as well learn a bit of history. Eventually she reached the end, with the large mural of Echo, Antirock, and the Child. She stared at the Oni woman for a little while before looking up at the dragon making the other half of the mural. It still boggled her mind that Echo claimed to have fallen in love with a dragon. How would that even work? She noticed suddenly that there was some kind of red border around the three figures; upon closer examination she realized that they were bright red poppies. What was with those flowers, anyways? They must mean something. She would have to ask Echo about it next time she visited her in that strange dream world. If it was in fact even the real Echo…there really was no way to tell.
She shook away her thoughts, irritated that there was really no way of answering any of her questions. She looked at the paintings decorating the halls on either side of the tunnels and realized with a start that one side seemed to depict dragon history and the other side depicted Oni history. She touched the dragon side, frowning. Who had even painted these tunnels? How did they even know the dragon history? Four elemental dragons were soaring away from the mural of Echo and the rest, and she wondered why they were important enough to depict. Were they the guardians? She frowned, squinting at the paintings. These guardians definitely looked different…and further down the tunnel she could see that The Guardians had been painted.
She turned to the Oni side and looked at the large portraits of three men, right in a row. They each wore a silver circlet. They also looked similar…possibly related? The last in the line looked far younger than the previous rulers, with braids covering his head. She tried to remember the snatches of history she had heard over the years. This was the line of the original kings…the ones who had united the nation. The Baron had even mentioned them in passing once, about how he wanted to return the nation to its former glory. She couldn't remember their names…but the line had been destroyed when…
She caught sight of the next picture in the list; the young braided ruler facing against the Elder. She scowled at the depiction of the Golden Dragon; he looked younger than when she had seen him, but the artist had caught the self-righteous light in his eye. She slowly moved down the tunnel, focusing on the Oni side. Battles depicted Dragon and Oni at odds, another portrait, this time of an irritated looking man with beady eyes. She moved down the hall, and her eyes widened as she saw the scenes that came after the beady-eyed man's portrait. Poor looking Oni fled, some holding children, as other's fired power on them. The gruesome scenes continued as she walked down the hall, and she shuddered. The Great Purge. She had heard of it, though she didn't know the details.
She spent most of the day down in the tunnels, musing over the various scenes. Most were of war, and some scenes depicted slaves being captured and delivered to Rulers in fortresses. The Dragon side became sparser and eventually there was nothing left to see; they must have not been able to track the dragon's history as they disappeared to the Dragon Haven. The last scene on that side showed masses of Oni taking down a familiar figure; she blinked as she recognized the Guardian of Earth. She turned back to the Oni side and saw a picture of the Guardian, chained deep in the bowels of the fortress. She tried to find clues as to who had led the Oni to victory, or what the Oni were planning on doing with the dragon, but there were no allusions to either.
At certain point the scenes of battles and Rulers died out, the walls left blank and empty a little ways before the stairs. She wondered again who had painted the tunnel, and why they had stopped.
It was cold down in the tunnels, and she shivered. She had hoped to learn more about their history by coming down here, but now she just had more questions than she did answers…and the only person she knew who could answer them was a cranky old Oni who refused to give straight answers unless he was insulting someone. She sighed and began going back up the stairs, hoping to find a bit of dinner before she wandered off to bed.
Dorhn dismounted with the same expression he often wore, and Cole tried to just ignore it.
"There's way too much to do…why do we keep coming here?"
Cole sighed. "Because he's a real stickler where debt is involved…and he recently saved my life. So yeah, we'll probably be here a while…that work for you?"
His bodyguard fell silent as they entered the room. The scrolls were all set up at Phos's table and there was a cup of tea by the armchair Dorhn generally sat in. The Bodyguard gulped it down in one shot and settled down into the chair, arms folded. Cole still wasn't sure if the dragon master realized yet that the tea knocked him out or not…but he certainly wasn't going to bring it up.
He got to work, not sure where Phos had gotten off too. The old Healer eventually showed up an hour or so later, carrying a basket full of random herbs. He glanced over at the sleeping giant.
"Is the behemoth staying here tonight as well?" he asked dryly and Cole shrugged.
"I'm telling you, Phos…I'm not sure he's going to even let me…"
"Maybe I should have put more into his tea…" Phos mused, and Cole trailed off and shook his head, looking back down at the scroll he was working on. The Healer rummaged around for a few minutes with his herbs, ripping leaves off stalks as Cole transcribed. Phos started chuckling to himself and Cole glanced up, warily.
"What?"
"Aren't you afraid of how everyone'll react?"
Cole shook his head, confused.
"About what? Me staying here tonight? I already told you…"
"No, not about that." He paused for a moment as he ripped apart more tender greens. "I'm talking about everything between you and the girl."
The brush stilled on the scroll as Cole looked up.
"You mean…me and Keyda?"
Phos raised an eyebrow and Cole looked away, trying to shrug it off.
"Well, I mean I'm pretty sure everyone knows that we care about each other, Phos…it's not like we've been trying to hide it…"
"Yeah, you've made plenty of people uncomfortable, that's for sure…" the Healer acknowledged, ripping the last of the herbs off a stalk. "So people will no doubt react when things take that next step…"
Cole gave a start, hitting his knee hard on the table. The inkpot jumped and the scroll he was working on rolled itself back up as he rubbed his knee ruefully, glaring at Phos.
"Next step? What are you…"
"I don't know what you yellow people call it…but here we call it binding."
"What?" Cole's tone was incredulous, but not because he wasn't picking up what the Healer was insinuating. Phos took the time to try to explain nonetheless.
"Eh, you know, when two people decide that they're gonna be together till death and make promises and start…"
"You mean, like marriage?" Cole struggled to get the scroll to unroll again, hands slightly shaky. "Phos, that's…that's something for when you've known someone for a long time…we're not….we haven't ever…"
The Healer rolled his eyes at Cole's defensive and flustered reaction.
"Well, I just assumed by how comfortable you were getting…"
Cole put the crystal he was using as a paper-weight down with a little more force than was necessary.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't assume so much," he snapped, trying to figure out some way to change the subject. Phos had come a little closer, still regarding him with a raised eyebrow. He took a deep sniff and Cole struggled not to wince at the sound as he glared at the scroll he was writing, trying to get absorbed with the content. Phos tutted to himself.
"Oh…this you're afraid of?"
"Phos…" Cole's tone had become quiet and angry, but the Healer continued.
"No, this is interesting…. an unstable Oni woman attacking you in her sleep, a room filled with deadly disease, or fire-breathing beasts of the sky, and you're totally fine. But throw in a little commitment…"
"I'm not afraid." Cole argued, still refusing to look up. "It's just…it wouldn't be the right time. And I don't see how any of this is your business…."
"Well, when you do finally get over this fear of yours, make sure you get bound properly; so many of our traditions have been lost over the…"
"We're done with this conversation." Cole snapped, his brush strokes becoming thicker as he pressed harder.
"Many Oni are not even aware of the proper traditions…I doubt that girl of yours even knows anything about…."
"I said we're done!"
Phos finally shut up as he watched Cole's arms and face flare up with orange light for a brief moment.
"What is that?" he finally asked, his tone suddenly becoming unreadable. Cole turned to glare at him, thinking he was about to say something else snarky. Phos licked his lips as he continued. "You're face and arms…"
"The bruises?" Cole asked warily, not sure where the sudden change of tone and subject had come from. "I'm pretty sure they're from whatever you did yester…"
"No, fool, the glow." Phos came closer to inspect, and Cole looked down at his arms.
"Um…you mean this?"
Phos watched as Cole's face contorted and light travelled up him arms. A jagged orange scar was suddenly visible on his face, and Phos reached out an almost cautious hand to touch it.
"It's elemental…" he mused. "But I've never seen elemental power react in this way…"
Cole was becoming uncomfortable with Phos's hand on his face, and he was still pretty irritated from their earlier discussion. He relaxed, and the light faded.
"Where did it come from? How did you manage to…"
Phos's sharp questions suddenly felt like an interrogation and Cole sighed, irritated.
"I don't know, Phos…ok?! Can you just let me get back to work now?"
Phos studied the boy for a moment more and finally scoffed, wandering back to his table of herbs.
"No need to take that tone with me, kid…if I remember right I did just save your life…
Cole didn't respond as he began writing on the scroll again, jaw clenched. They fell into silence, and eventually Cole's irritation and discomfort faded as he continued to read what was in the scrolls. A few hours later he was shaking his head when Phos wandered back into the room.
"What's wrong? Did they use a big word?" he asked dryly. Cole ignored the comment as he looked up at the Healer.
"This says that Kahzym the third built the fortresses as a place to protect refugees…"
"That was their original purpose." Phos said, voice suddenly quiet. Cole frowned.
"If the fortresses were made to protect those who couldn't protect themselves…why are they so horrible now?"
Phos scratched his chin as he came to squint over Cole's shoulder.
"Kahzym the third, like his father and grandfather before him, was committed to preserving his people and unifying the nation. When he was killed by the Elder, he was replaced by a bloodthirsty and idiotic man named Virgil." Phos scoffed in disgust. "We have him to thank for the Great Purge…and the decline of our people."
"Kahzym dies?" Cole asked, looking down at his scroll. He realized how stupid that sounded and tried to cover. "I mean, I figured he would have died sometime, but being the last of your line, and having everything fall apart after you die…" he shook his head. "Some legacy…"
"What is past is past, but what I wish is more Idiots would learn from it." Phos said angrily.
"What's the Great Purge?" Cole asked, looking up at the healer.
Phos sort of hurumphed before moving to take a seat.
"In the aftermath of losing the Child…the one you call the first spinbitty whatever…"
"First Spinjitzu Master."
Phos waved an irritated hand. "Yes, whatever. Anyways, in the aftermath of losing him and the deaths of prominent figures like Echo and Kahzym, Virgil went on a killing spree. He made it his goal to wipe out all traces of empathy, compassion, and feeling in general from the Oni nation."
Cole stared at the Healer.
"But that's…that's awful…"
"Many died." Phos said. "But eventually Virgil realized that simply wiping out those he considered weaker and 'less pure' was crippling the nation. He took the large fortresses over as his own and realized he needed a force to run them."
"Force?"
Phos sighed heavily. "Slavery was not always a part of Oni custom, boy…it started out as those targeted by the purge, but eventually it wove its way into our very culture. Oni smothered their feelings to avoid being killed or forced into slavery, and apathy grew. What was hidden and smothered eventually just became forgotten, and we saw fewer and fewer Oni wielding…."
"We?"
Phos stopped at Cole's interruption, and the younger man continued.
"I'm sorry, it's just sometimes it just feels like you were…" he trailed off as he studied the ancient Oni in front of him. "How old are you, exactly?"
"What an incredibly rude question." Phos snapped, standing.
"Phos…did you know the first spinjuitzu Master?!"
The Oni stiffened and he turned to glare.
"I'm not that old, boy…"
"But you've still seen a lot…" Cole looked down at the scrolls he was writing and frowned. "I mean, how many of these did you actually write!?"
"Writing is not my specialty." Phos said. "Blocky, bland forms…"
"So there were other Healers? Who did write these scrolls, and how did you…"
"How many times do I have to tell you? You don't pay off anything by talking." Phos disappeared into the back of the tent and Cole sighed heavily. The History of the Oni was so interesting, but the Healer he was seemingly perpetually in debt to, was often as mysterious as he was closed off. Cole dipped his brush to start another line as he wondered if he would ever know all of Phos' story.
"We're going to miss curfew," Dorhn said angrily, and Cole sighed again.
"I've told you, I'm not going home tonight…."
"That's against..."
"Keyda knows where I am, Dorhn…and the only reason I had a curfew was for safety. I mean, as long as I have you I don't have anything to worry about, right?"
The dragon master raised an eyebrow and Phos came in glaring.
"You're free to go, if you can't handle being here. In fact, I think you probably ought to, cuz there isn't a lot of room for your gargantuan self."
Dorhn turned to give Phos a stony look, arms folded.
"He's got to come with me, back to the fortress…"
"He still owes me another day of labor…and I've got plenty of candles to keep em going in the night…"
"'He' has got a name, you know." Cole cut in, angrily. "No, Dorhn, I'm not going back tonight, so you're going to have to reconcile that how you want to; apparently Phos doesn't save lives out of the goodness of his heart."
The Healer scoffed as if that was an absurd idea and Cole turned to glare at him.
"And I am sleeping tonight, Phos…I'm not just going to work all night and all day…"
"We'll see." the Healer muttered and Cole rolled his eyes.
"If you don't want to miss curfew, then get out of here Dorhn. You can come back in the morning…I'll still be right here."
The Bodyguard studied Cole for a moment and finally just shook his head.
"You don't follow rules, Outsider…and someday that's going to get you in trouble." He pushed his way out of the tent and Cole rolled his eyes again.
"You people are doing my head in," he muttered, glaring in Phos's direction. The Healer ignored the look as he rummaged around for some candles. The light was fading in the tent as the sun went down, and Cole realized with a shiver that he had never been in the Healer's home in the dark. He didn't know why the thought felt spooky, but it did.
"Here you go, plenty of light…" Phos said as he placed various-sized wax candles on the table with the scrolls. Cole sighed.
"I'm serious about sleeping, Phos…"
"Later, boy, the night is still young." the Healer protested. Cole groaned as he made his way back over to the chair, his back complaining as he took his seat again. He glared down at the scrolls; sure, they were interesting…but after six hours he never wanted to see another scroll….let alone translate one. He was definitely regretting ever having Zane solve this puzzle for him…
He picked up his brush as his stomach growled. He winced and looked over at the gray-haired Healer.
"Were you planning on starving me this whole time too?"
"Quit your whining, boy. Syn'll be bringing some loaves back with her soon enough."
Soon enough turned out to be another hour, and Cole was struggling to keep his eyes open and mind on the mundane task as Syn and Hershel burst back in through the door.
"The Ovens busy or something?" Phos asked irritated, but Syn just handed him the loaves and shrugged.
"No more than usual, Master Healer…but they always make us go last."
"No respect." the Healer muttered as he broke the two loaves up. He handed each child half, and then Hershel another half.
"Here….go take it to the whining outsider before he starves to death."
The children turned and seemed to notice Cole for the first time. They looked at each other, surprised, but didn't say anything as Hershel approached him with the half loaf. He nudged Cole's arm and the Master of Earth jolted awake, startling Hershel.
"What...I'm awake, I'm awake!" Cole muttered, but then he looked over and saw the young teen holding out the food and flushed.
"Oh, thanks Hersh," he took the half loaf and tore into it, trying not to be disappointed by how small dinner appeared to be tonight.
"You should be more grateful" Phos called from his place by a small fireplace. "We generally get more to eat without you here…"
"Then why not just send me back home and have me come back tomorrow?" Cole asked testily, feeling guilty as he realized he was eating part of Hershel and Syn's normal dinner.
"You owe me, kid…and I don't like dragging things out." Phos snapped, sending a small blast into the small fireplace to get it lit. A long thin chimney went up from the small clay stove and out into outside air, and soon the tent was filled with warmth against the cold desert night.
Cole had never seen that tiny fireplace lit, and he watched it for a moment in amazement.
"What exactly do you burn in those?" he finally asked, and Syn looked over.
"Dried Hoofer pies." she explained and Cole raised his eyebrows, suddenly sorry he had asked.
"Master Healer, do you still want to do my exercises tonight?" Hershel asked quietly, causing Phos to scoff.
"Why wouldn't we?"
Hershel didn't answer, though he glanced over in Cole's direction, causing Phos to scoff again.
"The Outsider's fine…much too busy working to be nosy, hmmm?"
Cole resisted the urge to pound his head on the table as he dipped his brush back into the pot. As far as pushy went, Phos was worse than his father ever was…and that was saying a lot.
Hershel walked over to the small box on the shelf that housed the clear crystals and carefully picked one out, coming back to sit in front of Phos by the fire. Syn was nearby, leaning back against the chair that Dorhn always fell asleep in, firelight dancing off her bouncy jet-black curls.
"Alright…begin." Phos said, leaning forward in his chair as Hershel sat. Hershel looked down at the crystal, biting his lip as he furrowed his eyebrows. A spark of purple danced around the hand, and the crystal shuddered in his palm.
"With confidence, boy!" Phos snapped, and Hershel took a deep breath, giving the crystal a more determined look. The crystal shuddered again and began shakily hovering over the teen's outstretched hand.
Cole couldn't help watch in fascination. He knew Phos would no doubt turn around and snap at him at any moment, but the exercise was so interesting he found he didn't want to look away.
The crystal finally seemed to reach a steady hovering point, and Hershel let out a shaky breath, a bead of sweat going down one side of his face.
"Good..." Phos muttered as he studied the floating gem. He reached out and tweaked the young Oni's thumb. "That's the first time you've reached stable levitation. The next step is emotional influence."
"Master Healer…I don't know if…"
"Get rid of your doubts, Hershel, or you won't ever accomplish anything." Phos snapped and Hershel frowned, the gem wavering in his hand. The Healer gave him a long steady look.
"You are capable of this….you are capable of control…you just need to prove it to yourself."
Hershel nodded, looking back down at the crystal and concentrating as he got it back to the point of stable levitation.
"Which emotion should I do?"
Phos studied the teen for a moment longer.
"Fear comes easily to you, Hershel. Try that first."
Hershel swallowed and nodded before his face contorted more, staring at the floating crystal. His eyes began to glow purple and he trembled slightly, willing the change in the crystal. From his place at the table, Cole bit his lip. What exactly was it Phos wanted Hershel to do?
The crystal began to turn ever so slightly, and a deep green color suddenly pricked the very center. Another bead of sweat trickled down Hershel's face as the green bled further out into the crystal. It had filled about half of the gem when the color suddenly receded, the crystal itself falling back down in the teen's hand. Hershel slumped, exhausted.
"I'm sorry…I couldn't…" he started, but Phos reached out and took the clear stone, shaking his head.
"That was good for a first attempt; you're more in control than you let yourself believe. You've just got to build up the endurance…"
Hershel nodded his understanding as Phos's demeanor became gruff again.
"Now get to bed; you'll be a worthless slave tomorrow otherwise and I'm sick of your excuses."
"Yes, Master Healer." The teen stood carefully as he picked his way into the back room, where he would no doubt be asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Cole tried to look inconspicuous as he got back to work on the scroll, sure that Phos was going to turn around at any point to yell at him for working so slow. However, Phos remained in his seat, staring at the crystal as if lost in thought. After a few more minutes he seemed to snap out of it and looked over to where Syn was.
"Ah….the foolish child's fallen asleep again," he griped, standing with creaks and a groan. Syn had been resting her arms and chin on a footrest, but she had fallen asleep at some point watching her brother do his exercise. Phos wandered over to shake her awake so she could head back to bed, but Cole stood.
"Hey, Phos…let me."
The Healer turned, but surprisingly didn't argue as Cole moved over to the small curly-headed child. Syn murmured something in her sleep but didn't wake up as Cole carefully scooped her up in his arms. He looked down at her peaceful face, remembering when he had carried her here just a month or so before, bleeding and afraid.
The Healer watched as Cole took her into the back room and laid her down on the mat next to her brother. Sure enough, Hershel was already asleep, and Syn rolled over so she was right next to him.
Cole looked down at them for a few minutes. He knew of a few of the horrors these children—children—were already forced to endure…but who knew all of the wrongs they had faced? That all the Oni children had faced? And why…because some guy a long time ago decided that certain people were less than others?
He finally moved back into the front room, where he found Phos waiting for him.
"What exactly was it you wanted Hershel to…"
"It's a control exercise." Phos snapped, gesturing to the table. Cole sat and picked up the brush again, utterly sick of his task.
"To control what?"
"Emotions. If Oni can differentiate a feeling in such a way as to make the crystal react, then they are far more in control then when they react to a jumble of emotions without understanding." Phos explained.
Cole thought about it for a moment and then yawned.
"Are you really not going to let me sleep, Phos?" he asked, irritated. Phos scratched his chin.
"Fine, Idiot. Finish this scroll and you can go to bed."
"But…I just started this scroll!" Cole protested, and Phos shrugged unconcerned.
"Maybe if you had been working instead of gawking at the control exercise, you'd be going to bed already. As it is you'll be lucky to finish at the moon apex…."
Cole muttered something under his breath as he continued to write. He had hoped that Phos would go to bed and he could just be done with the dumb thing, but the Healer poured himself a cup of tea and sat in his normal chair to watch.
Another two hours passed and Cole finally finished the scroll amidst short dozing spells. He pushed himself up from the table and made his way to the chair that Dorhn generally slept in; it was the only other place besides Phos's mat that he could think of to sleep. Within minutes he was out.
Phos waited until he was sure the boy was fast asleep before standing and going to a box in the corner of the tent. He pulled out a thick rod, glancing over at the Master of Earth as he hesitated. He clenched his jaw and pushed himself back to his feet as he made his way over to the outsider. He muttered something as purple light travelled out of his hand and up the rod he was clutching. He slowly brought the rod close to Cole's sleeping head, and after a few moments the orange scar blazed on the side of his face. The outsider didn't move or react in any way, and Phos scratched his chin with his other hand. The elemental signature exuded when the strange orange scar was present was far greater than the boy's normal one…it could be read for miles. Which, of course, was what Phos was afraid of. He glanced at his solstice calendar and clenched his jaw again. He would just have to finish the spell. That…or kill him.
26
"It's only two days…but I already miss him. Like…a lot."
Echo just smiled in reply, though Keyda couldn't really see her expression in the dark. When she had drunk the tea that night, she had woken in the poppy field in a moonlit dreamworld. She wasn't sure why it should be night now when it hadn't ever been before, but she and Echo were lying on their backs, staring up at the stars.
"And the fever was such a close call…what if Phos hadn't shown up? I still don't know how the old geezer knew to show up…"
"Healers are quite in-tune with everything going on around them…though they don't generally get directly involved like this. But I guess he was on a healing visit, not a political one…" Echo mused. Keyda looked over at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Healers are the guardians of history, as well as being…well…healers. But they also are sworn off from getting involved in politics."
Keyda sat up. "Involved like how?"
"Knowledge is power, Keyda…and Healers have a lot of it. When Kahzym the first organized them, they took an oath not to influence the politics of the realm in any way. He was probably just afraid of their power and capacity to overthrow him."
"How do you even know all of this?"
"Oni weren't always born and raised in ignorance," the horned Oni said, and Keyda bristled. Echo turned with a twinkle in her eye.
"I didn't mean that offensively, Keyda. It's the way the realm has been for your lifetime and years before you: leaders forcing the world into ignorance. It's not your fault." She shrugged. "And I lived centuries ago…maybe the Healer's Guild has changed; I don't know anything about their history up to this point."
Keyda didn't say anything as she gazed up at the stars. After a few moments Echo spoke again.
"I'm glad the Healer came, though, if he was able to help. Cole's doing better now?"
"Yes." Keyda picked a poppy subconsciously, twisting it between her fingers. "So of course Phos has him trapped in that tent of his, translating those dusty old histories…"
"Why?"
Keyda scoffed. "I still don't know! He avoids my questions and says I'll only get the answers when I learn control…so I guess that's just another way of saying never."
Echo sat up as well. "How is your training going, then?"
Keyda glowered at the silhouette of the poppy in her hand, picking petals off of it.
"I can't do it…apparently there's too much anger and Hatred inside. I mean…I try to control them, but everything from my past comes up, and then my nightmares…and my fears…" she trailed off as the last of the petals was ripped from the frail green stem.
"You're acting like these reactions aren't normal…but given everything you've been through it does make sense that you'd have all of this to work through. Don't give up on going just yet…"
Keyda tossed the naked stem. "I hate the lessons…they just remind me of how weak I am, how broken."
Echo's tone remained calm as she raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you go again?"
"Because I can't hurt him again…I never want to be that out of control again." She fell silent as a breeze rushed through the dream world, pulling at her hair as she stared out into the darkness. "If I sent him home to Ninjago he'd be safe, but I tried that for three months and I couldn't do it. I need him."
Echo didn't say anything for a few minutes as she reached out to re-braid Keyda's unravelling plait.
"You love him," she finally said. "Of course you don't want to lose him…and at this point, it would be wrong to send him back."
Keyda sighed, not saying anything. Echo lifted the younger Oni's chin to meet her eyes.
"You live as if you're going to lose him or leave him at any moment…maybe you just need to change your thinking."
"To what?"
Echo smiled slyly, head tilted.
"Ever think of getting bound to him?"
Keyda stiffened immediately. She had heard the term many times, usually as a slur. She knew what it meant, of course…though she didn't know many others besides her own parents that had been bound-and even then she wasn't sure they really had. She shuddered at the memories of growing up at the fortress; many slaves had purposely misunderstood the nature of the Baron's interest and attention, and she had been the target of many nasty rumors and slurs.
"Keyda?"
"I've never thought of getting bound to anyone." Keyda said, voice low but sharp. For a moment, she let herself consider it…but then she shook her head fiercely.
"No…I couldn't…"
Echo smiled warmly with a hint of concern as she put a hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Keyda…I only meant…"
"That's just it." Keyda looked over at the other Oni, biting her lip. "I…do want to. But I barely have control as it is…" she trailed off as she swallowed. "Besides…he'd never want to be bound to me…the way I am..."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Echo's tone was a little more severe and Keyda scoffed.
"Broken."
"You're not broken...you're healing. There's a difference." Echo raised an eyebrow in the dark and Keyda sighed as the horned Oni continued. "And maybe you aren't ready now…and I don't actually know this guy, but based on what you've told me about him I'd say he loves you as much as you love him. So keep it as an option...somewhere you'll reach together even if it isn't soon."
"Why?" Keyda looked over at her and Echo just shook her head.
"Because you can, Keyda…you are in a situation where the only thing holding you back from what you want is you!"
"It's a whole lot more complicated than that..." Keyda pointed out, and Echo shrugged.
"I've known situations to be more complicated…" the horned Oni started, but Keyda didn't seem to hear as she continued.
"Besides…it's not just me who would get in the way of this…don't you have any idea how everyone would react if we were to get bound!? Everything's on the brink of falling to pieces as it is…"
She trailed off as she looked over at the Oni next to her, a woman who had given up everything for the one she loved. Echo's expression was hard to read and Keyda hoped she wasn't angry. Echo finally turned to her and gave her a small smile.
"Just don't decide that it's impossible, ok? Because once you decide it's impossible then it will be."
Cole woke up to something poking his face. He opened his eyes to see large brown eyes and a freckled face wreathed in messy curls.
"Want some breakfast?" Syn asked and Cole sat up, groaning as he felt all the stiff parts of himself; sitting all day long and then sleeping in that chair had not done good things to his back…he wasn't sure how Dorhn handled sleeping in it as much as he did.
"Um…sure, Syn…thanks…" he said groggily and the child walked over to a pot to add another cup of oat-like food. Hershel pushed his way into the doorway a few minutes later, carrying a bucket of water. Cole sat in his chair as he watched them work through their morning routine; Hershel added water to the kettle and the Master of Earth blinked in surprise as he watched the young teen heat it with his hands, face contorted in concentration. After a few minutes the kettle whistled and Hershel relaxed as Syn came to take it from her brother. She poured half of it into the pot of oats and then Hershel added herbs to what was left to make a tea.
"You seem to have breakfast down…" Cole mentioned as Hershel brought him a cup of tea. The teen shrugged.
"It's a lot easier here than it was at the fortress…" he pointed out, and Cole nodded in understanding as he sipped his tea. He looked over at where Syn was sprinkling something into their oatmeal.
"So you guys like it here with Phos, then?"
"We didn't mind serving Keyda…" Hershel began carefully. "But Master Healer has helped me gain control, and it just feels different serving him…"
"It feels more like we're helping in a way that counts." Syn added, bringing Cole a bowl of oatmeal. He nodded his thanks and gave her a little smile as Hershel continued.
"It's strange…he's gruff and demanding…but I've never really been afraid of him…"
"Then maybe I need to come down harder on you,"
The irritated reply came from the doorway as Phos pushed his way into the room, glowering at the flushing teen.
"I'm sorry, Master Healer…" Hershel said quickly, holding out a steaming cup of tea as he bowed his head in apology. Phos snatched it from him, muttering something about ingratitude as he came to sit in his normal chair next to the cold fireplace.
"Sleep well?" Cole asked dryly, rubbing his sore neck. Phos just glared at him as he drank his tea.
"Hurry and eat your breakfast…we only have so long before your behemoth comes to claim you…"
"I'm nearly out of ink, Phos," Cole pointed out as he ate the breakfast. The food was pretty plain, though there was a warm hint of some spice he didn't recognize; must be whatever Syn had added to it. "You can't expect me to write anything without ink."
The Healer turned back to the desk, where the scrolls still sat with the half-puddled candles from the night before. The ink jar was indeed down to the dregs, and he sighed in irritation.
"Hershel, you and Syn will have to gather more inkroot today." Phos griped, and the two siblings nodded their understanding. The group sat in silence as they ate, the children eating much faster than the adults, being used to rushed mealtimes. They gathered Cole's bowl as he finished and Syn washed everything quickly in the rest of the bucket of water that Hershel had brought, using a strange smelling soap with it before stacking the bowls and spoons to dry. She carried the bucket out of the dwelling while Hershel grabbed a satchel. When Syn returned the two of them headed out together to go find inkroot. Cole watched them go with a strange feeling. They just felt like they belonged here…and he really was pleased that they seemed to be doing well with Phos. But how many other children were still in the throws of slavery? And how much would they benefit if they were put in situations where they could help and make a difference rather than slave away…
"Head outta the clouds, boy. Translating or not, you're still mine for the next hour or so." Phos snapped, and Cole was pulled from his thoughts.
"Then what do you want me to do?" Cole asked, and Phos made a show of looking around the room, as if trying to dig up a few extra chores. Finally he just shrugged and looked back.
"How about you just give me some answers, eh, kid? Think you can handle that?"
Cole became wary. "Answers about what, Phos?"
"That scar of yours…where'd it come from?"
Cole sighed, fixing Phos with a long look. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because it's something I don't understand," the Healer sniffed. "So I'd like to know more about it…why you being all aloof about it?"
Cole studied him a moment longer.
"It's a long story, Phos…"
"Then you best get to telling it," the Healer snapped, and he sat up angrily as Cole shook his head. "You owe me, boy! Get on with it!"
"Look, if I'm going to just open up with my life story then I want you to at least tell me something about yours…"
"No deal." Phos glowered. "First of all, I hardly want to hear your whole life story. No doubt most of it is dull at best and listening to that would be a complete waste of my time. And second of all, I owe you no explanation…"
"Three questions." Cole said, folding his arms defiantly. Phos glared at him and finally exhaled angrily.
"Only three…and I may choose not to answer them…"
"Fine…but at the end of it you will have had to answer three questions, whether or not it's the ones I ask first." Cole pressed and the Healer gestured at him to get on with it.
The Master of Earth sat forward in his seat, surprised that Phos had actually agreed so quickly, and cautiously optimistic about finally getting some questions answered.
"Ok…first question: How old are you, really?"
Phos scowled at him.
"Really, boy…." he muttered. He was silent a few moments, as if thinking.
"I've lost count of the years…but I was born not long after the son of Virgil the Purger took the throne…"
Cole blinked, not sure exactly when that was. He almost asked, but he felt like asking something that he could possibly find later would be a waste of a question. Phos seemed to be waiting for him to make just that mistake; the Healer scowled as he asked his next question.
"Did you ever have a family? Like, kids….or anything?" Cole couldn't imagine living that long and just being on your own the whole time. Phos's expression darkened and he seemed to be debating whether to answer or not. Cole finally figured he was going to choose to skip this question when Phos suddenly spoke.
"I had a daughter once," Phos said in a strangely neutral tone, his expression stony and hard to read.
"Once? What happened to her?"
Phos looked away, and Cole noticed the gnarled hands grip the hand-rests tighter as emotion flickered across the Healer's expression…it looked like grief.
"I don't care to discuss it." Phos said darkly, and Cole blinked. He wanted to press harder, his curiosity burning …but he knew the Healer well enough to know that it wouldn't do any good.
The Healer looked over to glare at him.
"Well, boy, you've got one more question. Spit it out already."
Cole pondered awhile.
"Why do you want me to translate these scrolls so badly?"
Phos seemed to relax slightly, as if relieved he had stopped asking personal things.
"History is the world's greatest teacher, outsider….and you have so much to learn."
Cole blinked.
"You're making me translate them…so that I'll read your history? Why not just tell me the history? Why make it so much harder…"
"If I told you, then you'd have to decide whether to believe me or not, wouldn't you!?" Phos pointed out angrily. "If you want to know truth, you need to be able to seek it for yourself."
"But why do I need to learn the history?"
"Why do you assume that you're the only one who is?!" Phos spat. "Hershel and even Syn are making great leaps in their reading ability. But considering you can barely read in your own language, I didn't think it wise to try to teach you the Oni…"
"Alright, that's a bit harsh." Cole snapped defensively. "And besides, I've basically memorized your alphabet at this point anyways, so…"
"So you taught yourself to read and I didn't have to waste my time on you. Even better." Phos cut in patronizingly. "At any rate, your questions are far more than up, and you owe me an explanation now."
Cole shook his head at the ancient grump and finally sighed.
"I'm telling you, Phos…I don't even really understand how…"
"Considering how little you do understand, I don't find that surprising, nor do I care. Just tell me the events surrounding the time when you got that scar, before I beat it out of you."
Cole rolled his eyes and spent the next hours telling the Healer the story of how his scar came to be.
Dorhn glanced around to make sure that no one was around to see him before heading into the tent. The woman inside looked up in surprise.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be baby-sitting?"
"He's at the Healer's…old geezer sent me home. Figured I could've made more of a stink about it…but it did give me the rare opportunity to come see how things are going before I go pick him up."
The woman gestured for him to come take a seat.
"Rasher said he spoke to the traders yesterday…"
"They agree?"
"They did." the woman said, pushing the hair out of her face. It was chopped in a short bob that hugged close to her face. "They've noticed the difference in Keyda over the last few months…and her hesitation is causing them some anxiety."
"I can imagine." Dorhn mused, scratching at his goatee. "We got a time and place, then?"
"Yes. Next week we will have everything ready…you just have to make sure to bring the Outsider. Think you can handle that?"
The giant bodyguard shrugged. "He doesn't listen to me much…but I'll get him there."
"Good." The woman fingered the light colored ring on her thumb, seeming to be suddenly lost in thought.
"Don't worry, Adalaide…this'll work." Dorhn assured. "I've been with the guy for weeks, and he's going to play right into our hands. With you on the throne, the original line will be restored…and we can save this realm from its current downward spiral…"
"Thank you, Dorhn." Adalaide cut him off, her eyes glinting. "The time is soon at hand. But for the moment, I think you have a charge to go pick up."
27
"I'm not getting on that table again."
The fevers had finally died down enough that Keyda had been allowed out of the fortress. She folded her arms angrily in Phos's direction, but the old Healer just rolled his eyes.
"No…perhaps we should start with something easier then laying down and not moving…" he muttered patronizingly as he gestured to a nearby chair. She hesitated before finally going to take a seat.
"Like what?"
"Like listening. Think you can handle that today?"
Phos sat down carefully in a chair of his own, wincing as if even sitting down was a difficult task. He looked up to meet Keyda's glare, shaking his head.
"You know, considering that you're trying to control your emotions, you're already off to a bad start with that attitude of yours." he griped, though not surprisingly this did nothing to make Keyda less angry.
"You're one to talk about attitude!" Keyda snapped. "All you do is talk down to me…it's like you're purposefully trying to…"
She trailed off as she watched the Healer raise an eyebrow and exhaled angrily.
"You're pushing my buttons on purpose!" she accused and Phos couldn't help but chuckle.
"Am I? Now why on earth would I want…"
"Is this another one of your ways of getting in my head?! Making me aware of how people are making me react, or something idiotic like that?!"
Phos's eyes gleamed in reply and he made a show of pouring a cup of tea. She eyed it distrustfully as he held it out.
"Being aware of how people make you react is the first step in control. Of course…then you would have to move on to the next step and actually learn to control yourself…so we'll see if it even does you any good." he mused as she finally accepted the cup of tea.
"Gee…you seem to have a lot of faith in me…" Keyda grumbled as she nursed the cup. The Healer shrugged.
"Why should I believe in someone who doesn't even believe in themselves?"
Her eyes dropped and they spent a few minutes in silence. She finished her tea and finally looked back up, expression determined.
"I need you to tell me if it's possible or not…if I can ever control everything inside me or if I should just give up…"
"Why would you need me to tell you that?" Phos griped. "Why does my opinion of it matter at all?"
"Because you know whether I could do it or not!" she snapped angrily. "So just tell me already…stop toying with me!"
He looked at her a few moments and finally shook his head.
"But I don't know whether you could do it or not….the only one with that answer is you, girl."
She stood angrily, slamming her cup on the table next to her.
"Then why am I here?! Why am I wasting my time with someone who said they could help, if at the end of the day…"
"Quit your yelling, I can hear you just fine from here." Phos cut in dryly. "Whether I can help you or not depends on you as well…on how well you listen, on what you are willing to do…on what you are willing to know and learn about yourself."
"Like what?!"
"Sit down, for starters." Phos's tone became severe and she sat. "Tell me what you know about yourself already….who you are…what you are."
She stared at him for a few moments.
"I'm an Oni." she started grudgingly, and he nodded.
"You are. What else?"
"I'm….broken…."
He leaned forward in his chair. "Why?"
She shrugged angrily. "Because I can't control myself…because of everything that's happened…"
"Well if you're so broken, why bother fixing yourself? How do you know it's even possible?"
She glowered at him. "So it is impossible?!"
"I don't know!" he held his hands out as he shrugged. "It certainly sounds like you think so!"
"I don't think it's impossible!" she yelled. "I just don't know how to fix something that's so…so out of control…"
"So your emotions are broken, is that it?" Phos asked dryly and she grabbed her head as it pounded.
"I don't know!"
"Well, if your emotions were 'broken' then you wouldn't be able to access the power of your soul." Phos said simply as he poured himself another cup of tea. She looked up at him.
"So what are you saying?"
"Well….as far as I can tell the reason you're so out of control isn't because your emotions don't work…it's that they are too strong for you. Sure, you're broken…but it's your own self-perception that's damaged." He took a sip and looked up to see her still staring at him, as if willing him to say more. He wiped a hand across his mouth. "The Hatred and anger and all the other emotions are as pure as they come…and it isn't a question of whether you can fix yourself, or if it's 'possible.' You will have to change your own way of thinking if you want to survive the influence of your own feelings."
"I don't know what any of that means!" she complained as she hugged herself. "There's just so much anger…I don't know how to fix that!"
He shrugged.
"You hold on to it, fool. If you ever want peace you're going to have to let some things go."
"Like what?!"
"Like the things that have happened to you in your childhood…in your youth…"
Her eyes blazed suddenly, and he trailed off as he raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have any idea of the things I've been put through?!" her voice was suddenly poisonously low. "Things happened that I can't just 'let go' of…things that I can't just move on from..." she shuddered angrily. "The Baron was a monster and I'm not about to just forget everything he did to me…it's impossible."
"Letting go isn't the same as forgetting…" the Healer pointed out dryly. "Obviously those memories are going to be with you forever…but you can change how you view them, how you bring them up in your mind…"
"Well that's easy enough for you to say!" she said bitterly, and it was Phos's eyes that flashed angrily.
"Foolish girl…look around you! You think you're the only one who's gone through abuse and hard times?! Look at Hershel and Syn, and the life they've lead…for ancient's sake, even your optimistic little Idiot has horrid memories from his past…you aren't the only one who's suffered! In fact, your emotions towards the memories of your youth are worse than your emotions were when you actually lived through those times…because your life is finally good enough to truly see how horrific your childhood actually was."
He had stood now, and she watched as he seemed to get angrier.
"You think you're special, huh? Try reading through some of our own history…there's no shortage of injustice and sorrow and terror!"
"And everyone in there just learned how to 'let go'?!" Keyda asked bitterly. He scoffed and turned on her, expression dark.
"They did…or they were destroyed. The only reason you haven't fallen already to your own source of pure Hatred is that you somehow miraculously learned how to love as everything else fell to pieces…"
"So why isn't that enough?! Why is everything else still so strong…"
"Because you hold on to those feelings, idiot girl." Phos's tone had lowered again, his angry demeanor having diminished back to the annoyed old man he generally was. "Until you stop harboring hate and guilt and blame for all of those things that have past, you're never going to be able to be in control. Those emotions are just too caustic, too powerful, and they will overcome everything else if you continue to let them run free."
She didn't answer as she watched him walk away.
"That's it for today…I've got stuff to do and deadlines to make, I can't waste any more time on you."
She stood, her emotions significantly jumbled.
"You know this all from experience, Phos?" she finally asked, her voice low. He froze, and she kept her gaze steady as he slowly turned. The healer made eye contact and scoffed softly.
"At least your tormentors are dead," he muttered. She blinked but he had already disappeared into the back before she could ask anything more.
"They're looking good," Cole said, standing up and dusting off his knees.
"For the amount of water we've been given em, they'd better…" the leader grumbled.
"And the night-sniffers?"
The Leader was a short man, and he looked up at Cole with beady eyes before looking back down at the curly-vined, six-inch plants.
"Haven't had any problems..." the leader admitted reluctantly.
"Good…I think they're nearly to the point where they'll reach the groundwater on their own…but you should probably water them for another week or so…"
The Leader sighed angrily, as if Cole were asking too much. The Master of Earth didn't worry too much; he had learned to never expect gratitude from the village leaders, but he knew they would do what he asked because deep down they knew that his ideas were working.
"Headed to Veiri's village now, right?" Dorhn asked, coming up next to him. Cole shook his head as they walked back to the guardian.
"We were supposed to…but I went to Phos's a few days ago and he was pretty insistent that I had to stop by today…"
"We don't have time!" Dorhn argued, stepping between Cole and the Dragon so the ninja was forced to look up at him. "You've spent far too long at the old Healers...and for what?!"
Cole tried to walk around him. "He made it pretty clear that…"
"Why do you let that Healer tell you what to do? You haven't been to Veiri's in over two weeks and you were just with that Phos guy the other day…"
"It's not going to make a difference if I go see Veiri tomorrow…" Cole argued, but Dorhn shook his head.
"It will because they're expecting you…what kind of reputation do you want to have?"
Cole thought about it a moment and then rolled his eyes. "This is just because you hate going to Phos's…isn't it?"
"He's undeniably insane," the Bodyguard admitted. Cole looked at Dorhn awhile longer and finally just shrugged.
"Fine…but we'll have to stop by Phos's on the way back." He boarded the dragon and Dorhn climbed on behind him.
It didn't take long to reach Veiri's village, and the Guardian swooped down and landed next to the large dirt wall.
"Was beginning to think that you weren't comin,'" The Leader said as they walked into the entrance. "And after we spent all that time making a hoofer saddle…"
"You made what?" Cole asked, suddenly intrigued. "A saddle? Why…"
"You mentioned it you know, on one of your visits…had my blacksmith remake one of our old dragon saddles." Veiri explained. "But aint nobody in the realm who's willing to try it out, so that's why we've been waiting for you, outsider."
"Oh, I see," Cole responded dryly.
"Well we'd hate for any of our heads to get smashed in," she pointed out. She gestured to someone standing off to the side and the other Oni came forward, carrying a strange looking saddle with him.
"Well…look at that." Cole said as he studied it. "I guess we should try it on, huh?"
He followed the others to the livestock pen, and one of the hoofers gave him an evil eye.
"Oh, I remember you…" he said threateningly, and the hoofer exhaled loudly through its large nose.
The blacksmith entered the pen and after a few minutes managed to get the saddle on one of the large beasts. After it was secured on he led the hoofer out of the pen and Cole looked it up and down.
"Picked a nice docile one for ya," the blacksmith promised, though there was something in his tone that made Cole think the burly man was fully expecting Cole to end up on his face again.
"Gee…thanks…" Cole stared at the set up a few minutes longer and finally pulled himself up into the saddle. He was surprised at how much easier it was to sit on the hoofer with the saddle on it, and hoped he would have better luck staying upright this time.
"Alright…let's try this out…" he said and he kicked the hoofer in the sides. The beast jumped slightly and actually started moving forward, and Cole blinked in surprise.
"It's working….I think it's actually…"
The Hoofer suddenly started bucking and Cole clamped his knees on the saddle, yelling out as the beast tried to shake him off.
"STUPID…THING…"
He delivered a hard kick to its side and the hoofer skidded to a halt, kicking up dust and nearly sending Cole flying off the front. He managed to keep his seat, and he sat up cautiously, looking back at those watching.
"I think we're going to need some reins…" he said as he tried to turn the beast around. After a few more kicks the hoofer harrumphed and turned before plodding back towards the pen. It came to a stop outside the fence and bellowed loudly, as if demanding that he dismount. He slid off the saddle and looked over at the leader, blacksmith, and bodyguard looking at him with raised eyebrows.
"Sorry to disappoint you…looks like you were all waiting for a show." Cole said smugly as the hoofer walked back into the pen, heading towards the food trough.
"This might just work…" Veiri muttered, staring at the beast.
"Well…glad we got that sorted," Cole said, rubbing his back; the stupid bucking had jarred his sore spot. They started walking back into the village, and a few children ran by.
"If there isn't anything else you need…" Cole started, but he stopped when he saw a couple oily characters standing near the entrance. His demeanor shifted as he recognized them as slave traders and he heard Veiri curse under her breath.
"What on earth are they doing here?" he asked, looking over at the heavyset leader. She fixed him with a glare as she folded her arms.
"None of your business, outsider…best be on your way now…."
Just then one of the traders approached with a toothy grin.
"Got our order ready, Veiri? We've got quite the order to fill at the Northern Fortress…fever struck quite hard there this year."
Cole stiffened as he caught on to the insinuation, and gave a start as someone grabbed his arm.
"It's time to go." Dorhn warned, but Cole ripped his arm out of his grasp as he turned back to the village leader.
"What order? What kind of deal have you…"
He trailed off as he watched the blacksmith and a few other villagers began dragging children out of a tent as the slave traders came forward to meet them with chains. The color drained from Cole's face as he shook his head.
"No…Veiri, you can't do this!"
"Spare me your dramatics!" the leader spat. "We can't afford to feed orphans, boy….they'll be of better use to the traders…"
"They're just KIDS!"
"They're profit, outsider…" the toothy man pointed out, handing Veiri a bag full of some commodity or another. Cole moved to punch the guy but Dorhn grabbed his arm again.
"You don't have the authority, Cole…everything that's happening right now is legal, whether you like it or not…"
Just then one of the children fought back against the trader trying to put chains around his wrists. The trader landed a heavy blow to the side of the boy's head, and the child dropped to the dirt. The trader moved to put the chains on the kid but never got the chance.
Cole's arms blazed as he grabbed the trader's arm.
"Let them go. Now."
"Get off!" the Trader spat, unnerved by the outsider's murderous look. Cole didn't release his grip as he looked up at the other traders, who were all staring at him with narrowed eyes.
"I said let them go."
One rose slowly, pulling out a sword.
"You've messed with the wrong traders, outsider..."
The trader went to strike, but Cole moved suddenly, whipping the trader he had by the arm into the oncoming attacker. As they hit the dirt the third trader dropped his chains to join the fray. The children were yelling now, fighting against their bindings; a few managed to get out of theirs and took off running.
"STOP! YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT!" Veiri screamed at Cole as he battled with the three thugs. The trader with the toothy grin ran over, pulling out a crossbow. He took aim at Cole's figure as Dorhn's fist came down hard on his head; the trader slumped to the ground as Dorhn yelled over to Cole.
"We need to go! NOW!"
Cole ignored his bodyguard as he dodged the sword blades from two of the attackers. His arm flashed as he threw a large chunk of dirt, hitting one in the face and knocking him to his back. A trader tried to attack from behind and he spinjitzued backwards into him, sending the guy flying. The oily character hit a tent and the whole structure collapsed. The whole village seemed to dissolve into chaos as Cole continued to fight the final two traders, the children in chains fought to get free, and villagers yelled from the sidelines, not sure they wanted to get involved directly but angry nontheless. Veiri kept her distance, but she screamed threats and profanities at the Outsider. Suddenly the Guardian of Earth landed within the walls, letting out an ear-splitting roar. All at once the chaos choked as everyone froze at the sound from the angry-looking dragon.
Cole panted as he glared at the final trader, having knocked all the rest out. The shifty man glanced between Cole and the dragon and finally dropped his sword, putting his arms up in defeat.
Veiri broke the silence as she stepped towards Cole.
"How dare you!" she spat, and Cole turned to fix his glare on her.
"Can't you see that this is wrong!?" he yelled back, and the village leader stopped her angry approach as she watched color rise up is arms and blaze on his face. "You're selling children to men who are going to use and abuse them…it's sick!"
"If you don't like the way we do things…than head back to where you came from, Outsider!"
The crowd jeered here, though the yells and slurs died down as a threatening rumble sounded from the dragon. Cole ignored them all as he knelt down next to the kid who had been knocked out. He rolled him over, and the kid opened his eyes. He saw how close Cole was and let out a terrified croak as he pushed himself up and took off running. Cole watched him go, relieved that the kid seemed alright but also sick as the seriousness of the situation began to sink in. He stood again, facing the glaring villagers. Dorhn seemed exasperated as he came forward.
"You went too far this time…" the bodyguard reprimanded as Cole glared up at him. "This is something you shouldn't have messed with…something you can't change."
"Watch me." Cole spat, and murmurs erupted in the crowd.
Phos checked the solstice calendar and then walked back to the entrance to his tent, peering out for any sign of the dragon.
"Where is that boy…" he muttered, the slight twist of anxiety deepening as the day grew longer.
The Northern Leader had nearly reached the fortress. He frowned in annoyance at his dusty shoes; today was the day they were going to get that girl to agree to reinstate dragon transport, so help him…
"Excuse me!"
He and his entourage looked over to see a young man waving him over. He looked scrappy, and he was pretty dirty…the Norther Leader looked down his nose at the man and didn't move to approach.
"What in ancient's name do you want?"
The man approached with a ratty smile, seeming unaffected by the higher man's station or disgust.
"The name's Rasher, your lordship…"
Rasher bowed low and the Leader raised an eyebrow. At least the filth knew respect…
"On your way to talk with the Ruler, am I right?"
The Leader stiffened. "That is none of your concern, you dirty little…"
"Of course not, I'd never dream. It's just I wasn't sure if you were aware of something that went on today…something that I just thought you and the other noble leaders of our land would want to know about…"
"Perhaps you should learn a little more about hygiene…and then we'll talk…" The Leader went to turn away, but Rasher moved so he was still blocking his path.
"Forgive me, your eminence…but it has to do with the Outsider, and his blatant attack on our hierarchal system…"
The Leader froze, turning back to the ratty man.
"Come again?"
Rasher's smile grew.
"You see….I thought you might want to know about it…"
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